I was very surprised to see that Secret Stuff and Sundressed would be releasing a split together when it was announced at the beginning of summer. These two bands weren’t artists that I would have ever imagined releasing music together, but I was very excited to see what they would bring to the table. I have been waiting for this Secret Stuff and Sundressed split to come out ever since it was announced, and man was it worth the wait.

Secret Stuff, the three-piece emo band from Tennessee, always write really deep and meaningful songs with magnificent twinkle-like guitar work and their first song “Ew, You Taste Like Cigarettes,” is a perfect example of that strong guitar work and lyrics that Secret Stuff are known for. This song has a beautiful blend of sound that compliments the lyrics, making it really hit home. Secret Stuff’s second song, “You Betcha, Pal,” is something that really catches me off guard, but I love it at the same time. I’ve never heard Secret Stuff use so many different layers of different vocals, and the melodies clash perfectly and really add a whole other feeling to this song. Overall, Secret Stuff’s side of the split is very impressive, and I am anxious to see the band blow everyone away with a future full-length.

Sundressed’s first track on their half of the split is “Autopilot,” with very catchy guitar riffs and poppy melodies. “Autopilot” is a lot of fun, and reminds me a lot of the early 2000’s emo artists like The Spill Canvas. The second track “Best Of / Worst Of,” is an acoustic song, which is very appropriate for this split. “Best Of / Worst Of” is very calm and enjoyable with some dark lyrics that give it a little more personality than the first of Sundressed’s two songs. The end of the serves as a fantastic ending to the split as a whole, with higher pitched and spacey vocals that clash right back into the chorus.

Overall, this split is everything I wanted it to be and more, leaving me eager for more new music from both Secret Stuff and Sundressed. Not only that, but both bands are touring together along with Daisyhead, which makes this release even more special, in my opinion. This is easily one of my favorite splits to date.